Dancing in the Dark
by dosei no otohime
Summary: It all starts with Ed babbling over something she found on the Tomato during a late night, a thing that leads the crew to Earth. And according to Spike, Earth only produces abnormality... or secrets. Average session content. Updated with Faye's chapter!
1. Slow Dance, Sleepy Beauty

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Disclaimer – I do no own Cowboy Bebop. This is my imagination at midnight after cramming for a trigonometry test. Sue me. No, wait, please don't do that. You wouldn't get much out of me anyway. I'm dead broke.

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Content –A little suspense, weirdness (Duh, the story's about Ed mostly), POV changes, some betrayal, lurking shadows, heavy sarcasm, and some other stuff. Maybe fluff. *eats the fluff*

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Dancing in the Dark 

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Chapter 1

Slow Dance, Sleepy Beauty

"Eh…" 

It was the first word uttered from my mouth, not very intelligent sounding, but to me, and the people who knew me, it was a manageable translation of "Good morning, sunshine!" 

I rolled over on the couch, hidden springs poking through to my ribs. Try as I must, I couldn't dismiss it from me, nor could I render myself deaf of the never-ending sound of Ed's computer buzzing, squeaking, or being tapped upon. My brain was fizzling from my short sleep, almost burning with the want to return to the void of slumber. 

But, sadly, I couldn't.

I frowned. The pattern of keyboard buttons and downloading filled my ears. Why, in all the things that had to happen in the universe, did sounds have to be enhanced six-hundred times right before you fall asleep? "Damnit Ed," I mumbled, opening one eye to glance at the thin form hunched over the computer called Tomato. Goggles strapped to her head, she was gleefully doing _something_ on her laptop while the glow of the screen lit up her curious features. I squeezed my eyes shut, wrapped a throw pillow around my face, and tried closing my ears. I sat there a moment, frowning again under the pressure of the pillow on my face. Nevermind that the pillow was dirty and smelled bad, I could still hear it.

In one motion, I tore the pillow from my face and sat up. I opened my mouth to scream something at her when Ed's arms whipped up into the air.

"BLUE!!"

The outburst startled me, and I fell off the couch and onto the floor. My hand shot to catch myself on the edge of the coffee table, but instead, I ended up just hurting my hand on the corner and sliding the table over five inches. I lay my head down on the cool floor, trying to get over the fact that I was fully awake and would get no more sleep. Still, her cries reverberated throughout the room.

"Blue! Blue!! Blueblueblueblueblueblue!!! Blue-Blue!!"

I pulled up my shoulders a bit and stared at the young girl who looked as if she had been raised by animals. Her hair looked like wildfire as she danced about the room, hopping over the cord that connected her goggles to her computer. "Ed, what's gotten into you?" I said, more to myself than to Edward. The girl turned towards me, opening her arms as if to give me a breath-taking hug.

"BLUE!!"

It seems to have been the only word in her vocabulary at the moment. "What do you mean 'blue'?" I asked, hoping she would calm down and not wake Faye or Jet. I didn't know the precise hour, but judging by the fuzzy version of the world I was receiving, it was too damn early for either to awaken. I pulled myself up with the coffee table and looked at her. She was standing in the same position as when she screamed her last word. 

"Edward going to see Blue!!"

I blinked at her, my mouth open, somewhat in shock and somewhat in abruptly halted speech. She wasn't making sense, like she ever did, but it seemed to be worse. I tried to rationalize her words. Going to see blue? Was she going to buy a coloring book and old moldy crayons again? My mind groaned as I remembered her last adventure with an ancient artist's tools made of colored wax. "Ed…" I said slowly, "what in the world is wrong with you?" I stopped speaking for a minute before a thought crept forth and I gasped. I leaned forward. "Edward… did you eat that black stuff in the back of the fridge?!" I demanded of her. She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head with a happy smile spread across her face. She let out a loud giggle and fell to the floor. I stared as she rolled around, tangling cords around her and still screaming about 'blue'. I opened my mouth to speak but something interrupted me. 

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?! I NEED MY BEAUTY REST YA KNOW!"

"Damnit Faye, you don't need yell so loud…."

A growl came from behind red lacquered lips, taking a territorial sound to it. I knew Jet had raised his eyebrows and was throwing a sleepy, yet don't-mess-with-me, glare in Faye's direction. 

I sighed and let my forehead fall against the cool wood of the table's edge as Ed still danced about the floor, still shrieking about something confusing.

You can't start a fire __

You can't start a fire without a spark

This gun's for hire

Even if we're just dancing in the dark…

Sorry it's so short! But there are some things I wanted to put in the next chapter but they were connected to things I was going to put in at the end of this chapter blah, blah, blah, and blah… It just wouldn't make sense if I added half of it here and then the rest in the next chapter, ya know?


	2. Late Night Waltz of the Confused

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Disclaimer – I do not own Cowboy Bebop. Don't sue me, even if my writing is terrible and sends you into foaming seizures. I want to verify the fact that I am still I'm dead broke…

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Overall Content –A little suspense, weirdness (Duh, the story's about Ed mostly), POV changes, some betrayal, lurking shadows, heavy sarcasm, and some other stuff. Maybe fluff. *eats the fluff*

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Chapter Content – More weirdness, no POV changes as of yet. 

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Dancing in the Dark 

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Chapter 2

Late Night Waltz of the Confused

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We'd been going, drifting, for days. 

"Ed! What are you talking about?!" Faye demanded of the little girl. Ed just giggled and pointed to the screen of her computer. I watched, amused by the stress she was putting into Faye's facial features. My old friend, Jet, was leaning against the wall, watching the two battle it out, though Ed didn't seem to be battling anything. He was watching Faye's lips, with a curious look on his face, as they formed their violent words. I bet he was wondering the same thing I had for a long time… did she sleep in that makeup?

_There was nothing to do. No new bounties had come up for almost two weeks, and that had made us all lazy in even trying to search for new ones or bother with the old._

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"Edward will see Blue…" she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and her lips pursing to press her point. Faye looked at her with a mix of confusion, stupidity, and utter hair-tearing rage spread across her face as thick as peanut butter. I raised my eyebrows as I began to pay attention to this quarrel. A nervous breakdown _would_ add flavor to the happenings around this ship, especially if it was Faye's nervous breakdown. I leaned forward from my sitting position on the couch, ready for the rumble. 

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We had been falling in and out of slumber and hunger, not even registering the fact that we were starving.

"Ed…" her voice sounded like the growl of a wolf. Slowly curling, her fists became clenched at her sides. Pulling out a single cigarette from my diminishing supply and lighting it, I smirked and exhaled the smoke.

__

We moved listlessly around the ship, like disgruntled employees on the verge of sleep… or snapping, whichever came first on the list.

"Wait a sec, Faye," Jet said, stepping away from the wall. A look of aggravation settled on my face and I sat back. The guy was breaking up the fight, just at the moment it was getting ready to break out into a brawl of hilarity. _This had better be good,_ I thought, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Faye," Jet put his metal arm on his companion's shoulder, "let me try," he said. Faye closed her eyes in decision and then slowly nodded. Calmly, yet still boiling inside, she sat down in the couch next to me and plucked the cigarette right out of my mouth. I watched her as she kept her distance from me, puffing the smoke with aggravated hands. Then I sighed and pulled out a fresh one, lighting it.

Jet stepped towards the young member of the Bebop's crew and leaned down, putting his face near Ed's, smiling as he talked. "Now Ed, what is this thing you keep talking about? We don't understand…" he said. 

"Is simple, sir."

"Not to us, Ed. Please explain blue to us…"

Edward looked at Jet for a moment before smiling. "Blue is like Ed. Blue is Ed's friend!" she said, finally pulling her goggles off her head and untangling the band from her fiery hair. She crossed her legs and began to rock back and forth, wide smile still present. 

Nonplussed, Faye turned to me. "Her friend is a color?" she whispered to me. I shrugged. "Weird kid," she muttered.

"Took you long enough…"

Hearing this sarcastic grumble, Faye turned and glared at me with silent promises of murdering me later. I gave her a blank, is-that-all-the-punishment-I-get-for-insulting-that-hunk-of-gray-shit-in-your-head look and began listening to Jet's peace-talk again.

"What is blue?"

"Blue is Ed's friend!"

"What is Ed's friend?"

"Blue!"

Jet sighed and shook his head. I was surprised. Edward usually didn't play her games with Jet, and his patience with the girl was high. But no action in the bounty hunter business for a long time must've crawled under his skin, blanketing itself and breeding with Annoyance to produce masses of children. And I despise kids…

"Look, Edward," I said finally, "we want to know what 'blue' exactly is. Is it an animal? Vegetable? Mineral?" 

The response was a chain of giggles coming from Ed. "Silly Spike-person! Blue is not vegetable or rock! Blue might be animal, Ed never ask before…" she said, taking her chin between her index finger and thumb and considering it as deeply as she could. 

"Well, it's either a hamster or… something else that is annoying and makes noise," Faye lazily cracked. 

"Kinda like Ed…" 

Faye snickered at this, but Edward didn't seem pleased. She growled as if the spirit of the wolf had been passed onto Ed's body from Faye. I gave a silent chuckle, ignoring Ed. I took a drag from my cigarette, not expecting what happened next.

I felt a weight fall on my chest, the force throwing my cigarette out of my mouth. I opened my eyes to see a fuming Edward sitting on my chest. I just sat there in shock of a thirteen-year-old animal sitting on me. And then she lunged down, head darting towards me.

And then she bit me. Hard.

"DAMNIT!! STUPI- DAMNIT!" I screamed, pushing against her. She bit down one last time and she then hopped on my head and scampered away into another part of the ship. I jumped up and started after her, ready to beat the kid until she couldn't bleed anymore…

"Spike, stop."

I stopped, but turned and glared at Jet. "I'm going after her," I growled. Jet just stood there, unmoving but menacing nonetheless. "You'll do no such thing," he said. 

"The little troll bit me Jet!"

"Spike!" the man barked, "She's just a kid. And kids don't like to be insulted, did you like it when you were some stupid kid growing up?" Everything was true, but I still wanted to kill her. 

"Jet she—"

I was cut off for the second time that morning by the presence of something worse than Edward.

"Howdy amigos! Ready for some big game?"

And there it was, the annoying pair that hosted Big Shots.

"There's a big new bounty out there, isn't there?"

"You're sure right! His name is Lester Hernandez, he's worth 25 million woolong!"

"Right! And last place he was seen was Earth, where he attempted a terrorist act upon several government buildings!

"Ohhhh! Such a bad boy! Good luck cowboys!"

I looked at Jet, my rage now dead and limp. "We are _definitely_ going, I don't care if we catch the bastard or not. I need to shoot at something," he said. Faye lay back on the couch, satisfied with her triumph in turning on the broken down television set. "Anything beats this place 24/7…" she grumbled. 

Edward's head popped from outside the door. "EDWARD SEE BLUE!" she exclaimed and scampered off in joy instead of being chased by Spike. Airplane noises could be heard echoing off the steel walls of the ship. Jet just rolled his eyes and went to go set the coordinates of our destination.

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I got up this evening

And I ain't got nothing to say

I come home in the morning

I go to bed feeling the same way… 

Weeee! I had fun with this chapter! Hope ya like it! ^_~


	3. Jukebox Tune Swinger

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Disclaimer – Roses are red, violets are blue… me no own, so you no sue. (I thought it was cute!)

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Overall Content –A little suspense, weirdness (Duh, the story's about Ed mostly), POV changes, some betrayal, lurking shadows, heavy sarcasm, and some other stuff. Maybe fluff. *eats the fluff*

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Chapter Content – I'm not sure if I want to change the POV… Spike's POV is working well for me. Anyway, back to the content. Spike gets to strip down to his birthday suit for cigarettes! Just kidding, and sorry to disappoint. More weird crap, lots of bounty-hunting-for-drunken-losers ACTION!!(Or maybe the next chapter… God, I'm dragging this out *cringes*) Edward is running around with strange intentions. And Faye gets pissy over some stuff. Not far off from the regular sessions, eh?

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Dancing in the Dark 

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Chapter 3

Jukebox Tune Swinger

"We're here," Jet said over the COM channel, voice echoing through the ship like so many things before it. I didn't move from my position on the couch. It wasn't worth the rush. Earth had proven itself weird and occasionally annoying, judging from its only export that was aboard our ship. As if on cue with my thoughts, the tanned little sprite flipped over the couch and landed in front of her computer. Once there she squatted down and began typing furiously, then waiting… tapping, then clicking at it. It was an endless cycle, a spinning chain… one that included me being bitten by Ed. 

A chain I was beginning to not like very much…

With a satisfied squeal, Edward then rushed by me and out the ship, white shirt waving in the passing air. I blinked in my confusion. Edward usually hated leaving the ship and her poor Tomato alone, and if she did leave, she didn't go without Ein. Luckily, I wasn't the only one who noticed her quick departure, because I didn't feel like moving to stop her. As Jet came into the room to root Faye and myself up from the couch, he saw Ed scurry away. "Hey! Ed! Wait a second!" he yelled after the girl. A returned yell was heard, but it was muffled by distance. But, since I had witnessed her outbursts of over-excitement in the past few days… hours… whatever, I knew that she had screamed something about 'blue' again. Jet watched her go, shaking his head as he did. 

"Hey Jet, think of it this way, maybe she'll leave for good this time," I said, my throat tingling in the hope that I could buy or pick some cigarettes off someone. I had smoked the last of them in the bathroom a few hours earlier, forced to sit upon the porcelain throne because Faye was in the same boat I was and would beg me to share it. It wasn't that I was greedy with my cigarettes, it's just… okay, maybe I was. But it was for a good reason.

"Spike, that's not a nice thing to say about Edward," he said. I shrugged, standing up from the couch. "Hey, be grateful. She's saved you from starving more than once," he said, riling. I could tell he was getting a little pissed. It didn't matter anyway. I hadn't meant it. "I'm sure she can make it on her own. This is more her territory than it is ours," I said. My fingers twitched and my system ached with the want for a cigarette

Beside me Faye rolled her eyes. "I seriously don't think a trip to Earth is worth that much money…" she grumbled and stood up from the couch, wiping off the butt of her yellow shorts as if the seat had been dirty. "It's not just the money, Faye. It's the food and the smokes… and we need it or we might get rusty," Jet said. Faye held her sarcastic tongue, even though I knew it desired to escape. 

After we exited the ship, I stood on the dock we were on. It wasn't a space dock. It was a fishing dock. I turned on my heel to face the two behind me. "I'm going on my own. Whatever you two want to do, you can. But I'm finding this guy on my own," I said. Faye crossed her arms in front of her chest with a frown, as if I had been staring. "Are you going to split it, or what?" she nearly demanded of me. I shrugged. "Whatever happens… happens," I raised my arm as I turned and gave the two a wave before tackling the city on my own.

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The streets were filthy. That was my first impression of Earth, and it wasn't a very good one to last. I figured that if I was going to find this guy, I wasn't about to find him by air. This being the circumstances, I figured the dirty bastard was hiding underground or something. So I wasn't taking the Swordfish II. But I _was_ taking my dear, sweet time. Maybe not working had made me lazy… 

I kicked at a soda can lying on the ground. It skittered away and into yet another pile of garbage. I decided to take my search elsewhere. _Like anybody would be hanging out here, _I thought. A familiar squeal came from around the corner and a blur shot up the fire escape to a building. I stared up at the moving figure. "What the—Ed?! Is that you? Edward!" I shouted up at the figure. It stopped and leaned over the edge, almost toppling. 

"HELLO SPIKE-PERSON!!"

Above her head, she swung a hefty object. I squinted up into the contrasting shadows of the building wall and the noon's bright sun. "Edward! What are you doing?" I shouted to her. She was wobbled a little with her load and then I could see the grin flash on her face. 

"EDWARD GOING TO SEE BLUE!!"

My shoulders slouched with disappointment. She was still going on about this 'blue' thing she seemed to be suddenly obsessed with. As I watched her ascend with giggles floating down until she disappeared inside an opened window, I began thinking, pondering over what she could mean. Was Blue a new computer program that could help with our bounty-tracking? Was it a hacker's sort of Holy Grail? 

Well, at least she was re-phrasing the sentence of the week.

I kicked another discarded soda can. What was with Earth and garbage? But above the stench of dirt, I caught something. I paused and sniffed twice. Could it be? I sniffed again. Yes! It was!

Cigarettes!

I followed my trained nose out of the streets and to the door of a bar. I stared above the entrance. _Dehlia's Drink_ was its name, scrawled upon a long piece of wood to replace a neon sign that was not well discarded beside the building, broken and filled with bullet holes, twisting colored glass fragmented across the cement sidewalk. I looked at the destroyed sign for a long time before smiling. _My kind of place_, I thought with a smirk and pushed on the swinging door. 

Inside, it was dark because of the lack of windows, but I could make out the shadows of sneaky poker players and a prostitute loitering in the shadows of the room's corner. The smoke of both kinds was heavily present, that was a good sign. Then I collided with a very solid object.

"WATCH IT YOU CREEP!"

I stood there, staring into the darkness, trying to find the shorter person's face and eyes and finding only a shifting outline. But I should've recognized the person by voice anyway. I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Faye, go to hell…" I said in an unperturbed manner. I could feel her scowl press across the dark air and onto my skin.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she demanded of me. "Looking for cigarettes. I ran out this morning," I answered truthfully. "WHAT?? THIS MORNING?!? You said you ran out _last night_!" she yelled at me. I shrugged. I couldn't remember when night was anyway. 

When my eyes shifted to a burning amber in a different part of the room, she took the opportunity and grabbed my hair. "Listen here, Mr. _Fro_…" she growled, "You held out on me! You said you didn't have any!" She pulled hard on my hair, yanking me down to her eye-level. I smirked as she glared at me. "Did you get your panties stuck up your ass again?" I mocked, "Or did your job on the corner not give you equal backup money if I decided not to split the bounty?"

She slapped me.

And I wasn't a bit surprised.

"You _creep_! You're only saying that because I haven't screwed you yet, you horndog!"

"Well, I think you've got too many maxi pads shoved up your ass, missy!"

A body pushed between us, smelling of sweat and alcohol. "Helayy.. les jus be fri'nss.. 'kay?" the drunk said to us both, trying feebly to push us apart. Faye shoved him away. "Hey you piss-drunk old man! Leave us the hell alone!" Faye screamed at the man. The drunk backed up, stumbled a bit and then shrugged before dragging himself up to the bar. Faye turned back to me. "Now you bias freak… I really ought to…"

"Lester! For God's sake! You know I can't serve you more than eleven shots of that shit within four hours… it's lethal, man!"

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…Lester?

"Hold on Faye…" I said, shoving my hand in her face and my palm into her mouth. She tried to bite me, but I ignored her. I calmly walked towards the bar. A click could be heard as I cocked my gun behind his head. He was drunk, but he knew this sound well and came to attention. But that was when I heard another click, louder… meaning a bigger gun. I turned to face the long black tube of the rifle, held in the hands of the young bartender. "H-Hey! I can't let you treat my customers this way, p-punk!" he said, lowering the rifle to meet my forehead instead of just the top of my skull. He shook, rattling the bullets inside the barrel with tremendous force. 

"Yes, you can."

All three of us turned to find Faye, smirking like the cat that ate caught the canary, with her pistol to the bartender's head. "You gonna give up, kid? Or do we have to end such a great career early?" she said. 

The rifle clattered on the top of the counter, sound echoing loudly throughout the bar. I grinned. Faye had turned out to be useful for one thing, finally. I grabbed our bounty up by the collar.

"Lester Hernandez?"

He stared lazily into my eyes and nodded… and then his face squirmed. I knew this was ominous, but I wasn't sure how much. His features twitched and bulged.

And then he spewed all over my shoes.

"Well, Lester, you're under arrest," Faye said with a cocky smile on her ruby lips. I stared down at my feet, now covered with puke. "Lester Hernandez, you're under arrest…" I began. I looked at him again.

"And you're buying me a new pair of shoes."

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I ain't nothing but tired

Man, I'm just tired and bored with myself

Hey there baby…

I could use just a little help…

The updates, the updates… well, during the week, I might be a little slow since I'm spending most of my time at school. But on weekends, I usually spend my entire day typing, surfing, and chatting. So on weekends, it's more likely that I'll update. Just wanted to clear that with you ^_^ Oh yeah, and I'm beginning to think that Jet's a bit OOC, especially since he seems really smart every time he opens his mouth. But I'm not real sure. Hey, we need a voice of reason in this fic anyway. And I'm sorry if I seem to make Faye _too_ pissy. She's just having an attitude problem (caused by nicotine-deprivation) at the moment, this I will be fixing later. And Spike x Faye fans, don't flame me because of the argument they had earlier. And I apologize if this chapter is a piece of crap. I'm not that good with action scenes and I don't have a map of the ship. And I might just start those POV changes soon. And the big mystery is revealed in the next chapter!! Yes, what you've all been waiting for! BLUE!!

I LOVE NIRVANA!!!


	4. The Black Dog's Jive

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Disclaimer – I DON'T FREAKING OWN COWBOY BEBOP!!! *twitches until she turns bllllue*

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Overall Content –A little suspense, weirdness (Duh, the story's about Ed mostly), POV changes, some betrayal, lurking shadows, heavy sarcasm, and some other stuff. Maybe fluff. *eats the fluff*

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Chapter Content – Okay, as an author, I decided this fic needed a _little_ work. And, to disappoint my readers, the mystery of Blue is not included in this chapter. *Dodges the frying pans and popcorn being thrown at her* I KNOW!! I know I promised Blue would be in this chapter! But I needed to expand my POV range, therefore taking on Jet. I did this because the reader needs to know the thoughts of Jet during a "crisis" aboard the Bebop. You'll find out later… trust me, it'll be good. Be assured, Blue will come in during chapter 5, whoever or whatever Blue is ^_~ *proceeds to pick the popcorn out of her hair*

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Dancing in the Dark 

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Chapter 4

The Black Dog's Jive

I glanced at the guy, making sure he didn't see me. He hadn't seen me as of yet, but I had been following him for the past hour, so he would probably catch on sooner or later. I wasn't going to waste my time, either. He seemed the type who would be friends with a local terrorist, especially one like our bounty, Lester Hernandez. He took on the appearance of a street bum in a sombrero well, stench included, but I could tell by the bulges at his side and chest that he was loaded.

And these weren't water pistols either. 

I drew my own gun carefully, silently approaching and making sure as hell to dull my sense of smell. 

"Hey, buddy… What's happenin' in this part of town?"

I cocked my gun with a grin. He knew this sound. He knew it as a love, a protector, and a painful fear. He whirled around quickly, tipping back his large-brimmed hat to see me… and the weapon I held. 

"You see, I'm just your average tourist a—"

Inside my vest, my radio crackled. It took both of us by surprise. _My_ surprise, however, was taken advantage of. My future-convict reached under his jacket for his gun. I sighed. "Oh _great_," I muttered. With my false arm, I grabbed the guy by the shirt, knocking his big hat off. Radio still crackling in my pocket, signaling an urgent message, I gun whipped the poor sucker. He limply flopped, unconscious now, onto my arm. I let him fall to the concrete. There was no way in hell I was getting his stink on me. Angrily, I pulled the radio out of my vest. "What the hell do you want?!" I barked. I expected our dear sweet Faye to be lost, or broke. Or maybe Spike needed directions to the local strip bar. Both of them bothered me, nearly tormented me, with their immaturity.

"We've got him."

I raised an eyebrow. It was Spike.

"What are you talking about? Got who?"

The radio crackled again.

"Lester Hernandez. The bounty, Jet."

"You're sure you've got the right guy?"

"Well, he's a little drunk, my shoes know all about that…"

I smirked.

"… but he's Lester all right. How far are you from the local station?"

I closed my eyes, estimating the distance it had been nearly half an hour ago when I had given up trying to get into Ed's files and decided to get the bounty information from the local police station. 

"About half a mile…"

"We'll meet you there soon."

"We?"

"Yeah, Faye's with me. Out."

__

Great, I thought sarcastically. I glanced down at the man who was now drooling unconscious on the ground, the dribble spilling out of his lips in streams of silver. I just left him there and began walking.

----

"Twenty-five million divided by four is…" I began as I deposited the money in our "family" account with my tiny computer. I hit the keys and the procedure was done. But, behind me, I heard protest. 

"Hey! Wait a minute! What do you mean dividing it by four?" Spike growled, taking up speed and walking beside me. I didn't answer him, figuring the reason behind his questions. "You and Ed didn't do anything. You shouldn't get a share, and besides, Faye was leaving the bar when I walked in. _I _should get the money," he said. 

"We all get 6,250,000 woolongs each, if the bounty's divided by four. Besides, it was Ed that woke us all up and I'm the only one who even considers buying food around here, so I _should_ get some damn money once and a while," I stated calmly. I pressed a few more buttons on my computer, re-activating the transfer in our account. "And, just so you won't spend Ed's share, I'm transferring the correct amount into the everyone's individual sub-accounts, which requires a password for access," I pressed a few more buttons before switching the computer off. All three of us didn't talk for a while until we came up to a grocery store. 

"We can stop here. You guys can pick up whatever you please. I'm getting the food, but if I hear no _reasonable _requests, I don't want to hear any complaints of what I fix. Got it?" I said, looking at the two. They both just shrugged and then stampeded, if a party of only two can stampede, towards the back counter that held cartons and cartons of their precious Marlboros. As for me, I went down the aisles with a tiny cart, searching for food that might survive the fridge in the ship. 

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Ramen…

Bread… __

Milk…

Coffee… heh, better not let Ed get her hands on this. She might just think she's an incarnated deity or something…

Bell peppers…

I stopped as a glimmer of deep red caught my eye. I stared at it for a minute. Then I picked up the cold packaged item and sniffed it. It smelled fresh. So I put it in the cart, careful to put it under the other things so to surprise the others. 

"Hey Jet, move it, will ya? I want to get off this planet as soon as possible… C'mon!" Faye demanded, putting an ivory hand on those pretty little hips of hers. "Ah, hush," I grumbled and took my cart's contents to the counter. The price was readily rounded and readily paid. We left quickly, me carrying everything. 

As we walked, Faye poked her head over my shoulder, walking on her toes, which was quite the talent in those taut little Go-Go boots of hers. "So Jet, what mutation are we eating tonight?" she asked, still trying to look inside the brown paper bag. 

"A surprise."

"Surprise?" Spike chuckled at this, and looked in the bag too, pulling the two sides apart and shoving his face in, "It's just as I had thought. He bought the peppers," he said with a small nod as if he were a doctor diagnosing a patient. Faye groaned. I raised an eyebrow. I was surprised he had seen _anything_. I was sure the frightening expansion of hair on his head would've blocked out any light. 

----

I neatly chopped the peppers on the cutting board and then tilted it so that they fell into the hot oil, sizzling loudly as they did so. I stirred the meal until the peppers weren't crisp any longer. I then turned off the heat to the stove and separated the meal into five, instead of the regular four, because I was sure that the little Welsh Corgy that seemed wrapped around my ankles was a little hungry too. I dished his share into the little bowl with his name on it. Ein yipped as the food was put on the floor and then he began to eat it, lapping at the little bit of oil that settled near the bottom of the bowl.

"SPIKE! FAYE! FOOD!" I yelled so that my voice echoed through the corridors of the Bebop. Something didn't feel right, though. Something was out of order…

The two arrived with haste, not even remembering the ominous feeling they had felt earlier with my buying of peppers. They sat on the couch with their plates in their laps. Faye began to eat, without even glancing at what she was putting in her mouth. I could've thrown fried rats on the plate and she probably would've eaten them because she wasn't looking. Spike, however, was staring down at the food with a confused look on his face. 

He took up his fork as if it was a blade and he was a knight. He poked at the food, surfacing a few chunks from his bell peppers. He then squinted at the food before him. Soon after, he speared one of the brown chunks and pulled it up to his face. He then reached across the table and shoved it under my nose.

"Just what is this?!" he demanded of me.

I grinned. "It's beef, Spike. What the hell do you think it is?" I asked. 

"Beef? Since when could we afford beef?"

"Since I started handling the money around here."

He mumbled some reply through a mouthful of meat. I smiled and began eating my own food. And for a moment there was silence…

"Give me your dishes, guys," I said, donning an apron to wash them. They did, promptly. And that's when I noticed one on the table still full. _Damnit_, I thought.

"Spike, Faye… I need you to do something for me…"

Faye clasped her hands together. "Oh, yes, Jet. Anything for you, Jet, your highness!" she said, her eyes gazing somewhat upward. "Damnit, Faye, shut up with that sarcasm for just one minute. I need you guys to do something for me," I said, getting the soapy water ready.

"Yeah? Spill it already."

"I need you to go out and find Ed. It's getting late."

The loud groaning of a lazy couple filled my ears. "Jet, the kid can look out for herself. She's been alone before. Besides," Faye flipped her hair back, "I need to take a shower."

"And I need to follow the Sandman," Spike said, already starting to leave. 

"All right, fine. But if I'm going to look for Ed, the least you can do is these dishes," I said. Faye dramatically groaned and put on a southern accent for her act, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. "Ah, suga', but if my Pa found out my pretty little hands touched such things, why, he would whip me fa'sure," she said and then giggled before quickly exiting. 

__

Great, I thought with a roll of my eyes.

__ __

-------

You can't start a fire

You can't start a fire without a spark

This gun's for hire

Even if we're just dancing in the dark…

Eh-heh… this chapter didn't turn out that great did it? Sorry 'bout that. I think I need to get in the habit of watching Bebop every darn chance I get. I need to be able to watch, sleep, eat, and breathe Cowboy Bebop again. 

I must remind you that this was written from Jet's point of view. You have been reminded. And I'm not sure what kind of radio communications system they use, but I think a radio would get a little fuzzy on Earth, considering all that lost technology junk and such. I can't remember what kind of system they used outside of their ships, which was mostly video. I haven't seen the series in a long time, so forgive me if I'm wrong. And, I have the movie soundtrack, and in the booklet there's a picture of a cigarette pack. The brand is Marlboros, so I decided to stick that little bit in there!

I FINALLY FOUND MY NEON BALLROOM CD!! I'M SO HAPPY! AFTER 2 WHOLE YEARS I FINALLY FOUND IT!


	5. Blue Ballet

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Disclaimer – I'm still broke, so no suing me. 

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Overall Content –A little suspense, weirdness (Duh, the story's about Ed mostly), POV changes, some betrayal, lurking shadows, heavy sarcasm, and some other stuff. Maybe fluff. *eats the fluff*

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Chapter Content – I'm back to Spike's POV, which I think is excellent for this chapter. Also, the appearance of Blue!!

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Dancing in the Dark 

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Chapter 5

Blue Ballet

I yawned, turning over in the bed and then pulling the cover back over my chilled legs. I still had all my clothes on, minus my jacket. I didn't sleep in my own room very often, and by now I had found out why.

It was because it was as uncomfortable as Hell.

I threw back the covers and sat up. My fingers fumbled over to the ashtray where I had lain a half-smoked cigarette. I found it and re-lit it, breathing in the smoke. I was severely disappointed. I had been unable to find more than twenty minutes worth of sleep in this cold, abandoned room. A long time ago, Jet had shut off the heat to it, figuring no one would ever be in here again. Oh well…

My stomach growled deep within me. Hungry, again? Maybe I'd slept longer than I thought…

I stood up, finding my jacket and slipping it on. I was getting out of here. Maybe Jet had saved Ed's share of the food. _Well, if ya snooze, ya lose,_ I thought with a smile as I puffed a little bit more on my cig before finishing it and snuffing it out beneath my shoe. And then I left the frozen tundra known as my mattress and headed for the kitchen. 

The fridge had no scent or sign that bell peppers and beef with the beef had ever existed. I furrowed my brow with a frown. Surely Ed hadn't come in because I had yet to be tackled, bit, sung to or laughed at in my waking hours. And poor Tomato was lying in the middle of the room, where it had been turned off for a long time. I sauntered towards the familiar yellow couch. I was about to stretch out on it, when I felt something warm and furry in the place I was about to place my rump. Ein was carefully snuggled against a throw pillow that had carelessly been tossed on the piece of furniture… by me I think. _The dog owes me_, I thought, not sitting on the couch. I sat on the floor instead, staring down at the little brown and white sleeping form of a canine. "You're certainly a strange little pooch…" I mumbled, crossing my legs. I sighed.

I was restless. I needed something to do… something to entertain me…

__

Hey, is Faye still in the bathtub? I wondered with a small grin beginning to spread. If she was, then a few innocent pranks could go a long way in means of entertainment. A laugh escaped me as the echoes and visions of Faye's shrieks of rage and red face entered my mind. I stood up and began my creep down through the insides of the Bebop.

I was just walking down the hall, devising my plan of ultimate evil and to make sure that Faye was in her place so that the plan would be a success. And then a heard something over my head…

I stopped, listening.

Inside the ducts, scratching noises could be heard. Behind me, Ein barked and barked. I stared down at him, his little body jumping with every yip. Apparently, the little dog had followed me, to keep me out of trouble or maybe he was looking for Edward. And he kept barking.

"Damnit, we've got rats…" I grumbled.

THUD!

My eyes widened. "Uh, really _big_ rats…" I said. Well, there was an answer. I could shoot a few rats to get rid of my boredom, and if I were really lucky, I'd have a dead rat or two to put under Faye's sheets after I was done. I drew my gun and started up a nearby metal ladder. I moved closer… closer…

And then the duct suddenly popped open on its own. Which totally took me by surprise, and I fell directly onto my ass.

A lanky shadow swung out first, landing on the floor near my feet. Then another came, a little bigger than the first. The bigger one crawled nearer to me, padding quietly on the cold steel floor, slowly revealing an arm and then a knee… and a mess of long black hair. I sat up to get a closer look at this new appearance, but it was a mistake. No sooner had I leaned forward, I was on my back again. In a flash of blue and a whirl of black, I had been tackled to the ground. 

"What the hell?!"

I was staring into the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. She sat there, blinking. And then a grin spread across her face.

"HELLO SPIKE-PERSON!" the little demon chirped as she sat on my chest. "Hello, hello hello… heeeelllooo…" she began to bounce up and down on me to the rhythm of her new song. As I watched the black hair dance around her face, I felt the coldness in my hand again. I remembered the gun…

And seriously considered shooting the talking human kangaroo who had made a trampoline out of my chest.

Then she suddenly stopped and leaned in close to my face. She examined me a little before leaning back. "Are you Spike-person?" she asked me, cocking her head to the side, "'Cos, Eddie said that Spike-person had funny hair… and you have an afro-puff!" She leaned in again, looking at my head. Then a loud giggle escaped her. "Of course you are Spike-person! 'Cos Eddie said that Spike-person had funny hair and Jet-person had no hair! So you must be Spike-person with the funny hair 'cos I see hair!" 

"Yes, the Spike-O and the Jet-O ate the Jell-O as we sat on Mars…" sang out a voice from behind. I shoved the new girl to the side to get a good look at Edward. "Ed, just who is this?!" I demanded. Edward looked at me with wide eyes, apparently frightened at my tone. She sat there a moment before throwing herself on me. 

"Ahhhh…. Spike-person! Please do not be mad with Edward! Edward thought that Spike-person would like Blue!!" she moaned, clinging to my arm. 

"…Blue?"

Her expression immediately brightened. "Yes! Yes, Edward brought Blue here to meet all of Bebop!"

"And this is Blue?"

Edward nodded enthusiastically. I lay my head against the floor and groaned.

"So, Spike, who's your little girlfriend?" cooed a voice from behind the mess I had found myself in. It was Faye. She was standing there in a bathrobe, her hair wet and in a towel. I shoved the two children off of me with one sweep and got up. 

"She's not my girlfriend…"

Faye smirked. "Well, you two do seem awful close," she said. I frowned as I walked, hearing the cries of the two girls I had left behind.

"Con pollo! El pollo es primero!"

"Blue shall stay with Edward on Bebop for all of time! Oh la la!"

Faye followed me, keeping her smile the whole time. "I seriously think the thing has rabies…" I grumbled. 

"You mean that little kid?"

"Yeah. Her name is Blue."

Faye stopped for a second. "Blue?" she said "You mean that thing Ed's been going on and on about?"

I nodded and managed to find a cigarette in my pocket. I lit it and began smoking. "Yep… that's Blue. And it seems the only difference between her and Edward is that she refers to herself as 'I'"

Faye's eyes widened. "This is a disaster waiting to happen…" she said. 

__ __

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Message keeps getting clearer

Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place

I check my look in the mirror

I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face…

This was _nice_…

Sorry if it's a piece of crap.

And, in case you didn't notice, some of the stuff Blue said was in Spanish. Those two phrases will be used frequently through the next few chapters.

Con pollo = "with chicken"

El pollo es primero = "The chicken is first."

I'll also warn you that Blue is going to speak some Spanish… and, scary as it may seem, Edward is going to join her. I will translate at the end of each chapter. Also, if you don't know already, I always include the character in charge of the Point Of View in the **content** part up top, so be sure to read those or you might be a lil bit confused ^_~


	6. Do the Spanish Disco

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Disclaimer – Stop looking at me. Just because there is a cheese tyrant living on my head doesn't mean…

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Overall Content –A little suspense, weirdness (Duh, the story's about Ed mostly), POV changes, some betrayal, lurking shadows, heavy sarcasm, and some other stuff. Maybe fluff. *eats the fluff*

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Chapter Content – Sorry I took so long and such. School and some personal probs came up. This one is a little out of the normal, well, whatever's considered normal for this fic anyway. Longer paragraphs this time. More action. Faye's POV. 

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Dancing in the Dark 

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Chapter 6

Do The Spanish Disco

And so she had arrived, this little pale skinned elf had followed Edward home… or something. 

I didn't know where she had found her, and maybe I didn't want to know. But I was wondering when she would leave. Having to deal with Edward was hard enough, but Edward and her clone would surely make the blood pressure on this ship pop. Jet had hidden in his room for the past hour. I sniggered at the thought. Edward sure did put fear in men. But Ed had seemed to grow on Spike and Jet. To Jet she seemed to be the daughter her never had, though his fantasy child was probably not as eccentric, but she was a suitable replacement for what was never there. To Spike she was perhaps a younger sister, though I didn't know anything about his past or his family. His family could've been derived straight from _Arsenic and Old Lace_, and he had been the only normal one, then Edward would've been the perfect little sister. But Blue, however, had a lot more to get used to. Knowing the guys, they'd probably kick her out as soon as they could. After all, she was one more mouth to feed and another kid to get under your feet while you were out getting your freelance income. Ed, the loving little kid that she was, would get into the ship's controls and steer us to Mars, where the guys wouldn't have the heart to just abandon the blue-eyed girl. I shouldn't expect to wake up on Earth in the morning. 

I glanced over at her. There was a reason why she was named Blue, though I didn't know it, it was her wardrobe that was probably partly to blame. She wore a denim jacket over a sky-blue "wifebeater" style undershirt and she had indigo stained pants that flared out beginning at the knees. Just like Ed, she was barefoot, though I think she arrived with a pair of plastic sandals, ones that a kid could buy in the bargain bin of a dollar store. She also carried a greasy old backpack, with a strange logo on it. I should've known that the Blue that Edward had went on about was a friend of hers, not like EMPU, the relic satellite she had managed to save from a fate of loneliness. No, Blue was different. How different, though, had yet to be discovered. She constantly danced around, singing in Spanish to a tune with no regular beat. Sizing this new kid up, I estimated her age to be maybe… fifteen? She looked a little older than Ed did, a little taller too. Her chest was starting to bloom, which was highly noticeable against her slender waist. I wondered if she had a mother, or even someone to care for her. Maybe she had no one, and didn't belong, like Ed was when we found her, er, when she found us. I just shrugged and went back to drying my hair. I left the room to get a hairbrush and change into some clothes. 

When I returned, clothed in some shirt I stole from Spike's laundry and a pair of soft shorts, she was dancing around the room, little black curls dancing around her ears. Her hair was now pulled back with a blue ribbon. But that wasn't the problem…

"El camarónes está bailando! Ponga los huevos y el arroz en el congelador! Bailaremos!" she sang out as she danced, clapping her hands to the rhythm inside her head. The tiny beads on her bracelet were clinking together as she did this. "I wish you would sing in English if anything," Spike grumbled, closing his eyes. Blue stopped dancing and looked at Spike. She then walked over to him, leaning in close to his face. He opened one eye to look at her. She poked his cheek with her index finger. "Empujaré un melón en su pelo," she said, poking him again. "Oh be quiet, munchkin," he said, closing his eye again. Blue shrugged and pulled away from Spike. Then she twirled swiftly, like a ballerina, lowering herself closer to the ground with each rotation. Then she plopped herself on the floor, still spinning a little. She stopped herself and turned back to Ed, who was connecting her goggles to Tomato. "Hook up Skittles as well, BA-lue," Ed chirped. Blue crawled over to where her bag lay, then she opened it and pulled out a sleek black case, which bore multi-colored circles that were inscribed with white letter S's in the middle. It also had a sticker of a tan midget creature with a gem at its navel and hair that stood straight in the air. 

They sat there for a little while, surfing the net I supposed, their heads kicking and swerving to the side every so often. 

Then Ed took off her goggles and tapped Blue's shoulder. 

"Edward wants to show Blue something. Come with Ed?" she said, picking up her laptop. Blue nodded and stood up. Then they left, Ed doing cartwheels as they went while Blue followed close behind, humming her strange Spanish tune.

The lounge, for the first time in nearly an hour, was quiet.

__

Weird… 

The silence had to be broken sometime. "I hate kids." Spike said. He didn't look up, just kept staring at the floor. I smirked. "You know, Blue doesn't look that young. She looks about fifteen to me, but I may be wrong. You can never tell a woman's age, ya know," I said and widened my smirk. Spike just rolled his eyes heavenward. I pulled a pack of cigarettes from between my breasts. I carted them, slamming the end against the broad part of my palm, then pulled one out then lit it with a transparent gas-station brand lighter that had been next to the cigarette pack. I pulled in the smoke, then exhaled, another thought coming to my mind.

"Ya know, since she's older," I spoke with the cancer-stick held at the edge of my mouth, "You might have to deal with a certain thing once a month."

"Certain thing? What thing?"

Men are such idiots. Spike is my living proof.

"Oh, you don't know? It's called PMS, Spike."

Spike looked at me a moment, scanning my face to see if I was just mocking him.

"That's it," he said, apparently disappointed in our new cargo, "She's leaving."

I laughed. Men are easy to tease as much as they are idiots. "Oh but Spike," I poured out sweetly, "if you make her leave, then you will upset Ed. Then Hannibal will be at the gates of Rome."

"But Hannibal lost that battle. The Empire's army defeated what little was left of his forces. All because the man overthought the process that he presumed would be the Romans' downfall."

Oh, so he knows his history, does he?

"But this isn't the wrath of Hannibal that you should fear," I said, standing up to leave, "It's Ed's wrath." I wagged a finger at him. "Never underestimate your enemy once fire has been unleashed upon them." I turned. From behind me, he grunted.

My exit of the lounge to my room was interrupted, however, by two teenage forms scrambling down the hall towards the lounge, proud grins set into their cheeks. Edward was running oddly, and then I noticed Blue's laptop perched upon the top of her head, wobbling back and forth in Ed's effort to keep it balanced. Blue was behind her, trying to keep up, as her cerulean-tinted goggled were still attached to the computer. 

"Lookie! Lookie, Faye-Faye!! Look at what Ed and Blue have foounnnd!" she said in her sing-song voice and then grinned, same smile setting upon her companion's face as well. I squinted at the screen. Edward became impatient as I tried to read the screen that flickered every so often. "Would you stand still a second?" I grumbled, putting my cigarette between my lips and trying to hold Edward still by the shoulders. When the screen stopped moving and flickering, I actually looked at it more closely. 

The man on the screen was nothing short of grizzly and downright filthy. His eyes were narrowed, but not directed towards the camera that had taken his picture. His eyes were odd though. Silver and the pupils were strange…

Like a cat's eyes.

Then I read the name and the cash numbers beside it.

Cat Eyed Gregory.

50,000,000. 

The numbers were quite hefty, but would fit nicely into my account, or onto a few sheets of paper as scratches of pen at the horse races. A grin slid onto my face. "Ed… Blue…" I cooed softly so that Spike wouldn't hear me, "Do you two want to take a ride in the _Redtail_ and hang out with me for a while? I'll give you something good if you help me while we're out. What do you say?" I leaned down to their height, looking them both in the eyes. 

"YES!!"

Their voices rang out in loud unison down the halls and across the lounge before I could throw my hands over their mouths. I threw a quick glance over at Spike, who had, due to my lack of luck, looked up to see what was going on wit the two sprites. 

"What are you doing?"

I shuffled Ed behind me quickly, hoping that Spike's good eyes wouldn't catch the numbers or the picture of the bountyhead. I smiled at him.

"I'm taking them shopping. Girl's stuff and all that, ya know… "

"Oh, well, get me something while you're out."

He wanted something from a feminine shopping trip? Then I realized that he didn't understand that part, or his masculine ears refused to hear it. I frowned. Not only would I be going after bounty, I would also be shopping for Spike. Yeah, right. The day I shop for a man, let alone Spike, is the day that Hell freezes over and the demons start serving Sno-Kones to the angels. 

"Like what, your highness?" I scoffed and put my hands on my hips. From my position, I could see his shoulders move upwards as he shrugged. "I dunno," he said, "Just bring me back something. A souvenir." He threw a glance at Edward. 

I sneered at this. Fine, he was getting some of those weird orange Circus Peanut things they sell on Earth. 

"Whatever," I said, waving him off with one hand and ushering the two girls out in front of me with the other, quite a job when the newcomer is trying to wave at Spike, grinning, and speaking to him in Spanish with a fluent tongue. 

When we reached the hangar, I opened the fence and the girls skipped inside. While I took my time, Ed rushed to the _Redtail_ and hopped up to the hatch in one bound, ready for me to open the door and let her inside. "Edward and Blue will get something good!" she began chattering as she swung from the handle, kicking her feet as she did. Blue clapped her hands happily at Ed's words. Then she did a few handsprings towards my ship. However, she didn't begin swinging like some sort of monkey when she got there. Rather, she stood outside the ship, seeming to admire the machine. Edward saw it as well. She stopped dangling and looked at her friend. 

"What is the matter with Blue?"

"I am thinking."

"'Bout Little Cat?"

Blue nodded her head. Edward became solemn, an emotion I had never truly seen cling to her. She looked at the ship's silver paint, at the guns and the rest, all with a quiet mouth and eyes that may not have been seeing my ship, but maybe something plucked from a memory before the Bebop. 

I approached the ship and opened the door. Once again, Ed claimed her hyper mood. She let out a squeal and jumped inside, Blue following in step. The duo managed to crowd behind the pilot seat. I turned to them. "Hey guys, I'm going to do something before we go shopping and stuff, k?" I said to them. Ed's golden eyes filled with happiness and she cheeped with excited. "Yes! Yes! Edward is going!" she sang out, throwing her arms up in the air. "Eddie, where are you going?" Blue asked, cocking her head to the side. Ed grinned and made guns out of her hands by extending her index finger and thumb straight into the air. "Cowgirl Ed is going to bust some bad guys!" she replied, her voice gruff. I smiled. The little girl was cute.

"Bang! Bang-bang!" 

She started shooting randomly in the air. "Edward will help Faye-Faye catch mean ol' bountyhead! Right, Faye-Faye?" she said, twisting around as much as she could. I nodded and then put the key into the ignition.

"Hold onto your headgear, kids," I said, holding onto the controls as the ship was released into the open air of Earth.

__

-------

Message keeps getting clearer

Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place

I check my look in the mirror

I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face…

**Next Dance: _Funky Chicken Tango_**

This was _nice_…

Sorry if I get a bit sentimental. Lately, it's been my second nature. And I stole Cat Eyed Gregory from an RPG that I'm in. I couldn't think of any other names that could fit anything that I wanted. I hope you don't mind all that much, Emerald… AKA Spike's-lady-friend-person!

And sorry if this is a bit short. Also, there's going to be more Faye stuff. I'll also include a few Ed chapters. 

Spanish Translations:

"El camarónes está bailando! Ponga los huevos y el arroz en el congelador! Bailaremos!" = The shrimp are dancing! Put the eggs and rice in the freezer! We will dance!

"Empujaré un melón en su pelo" = I will shove a melon into your hair

I'll warn you that Blue is going to speak some Spanish… and, scary as it may seem, Edward is going to join her. I will translate at the end of each chapter. Also, if you don't know already, I always include the character in charge of the Point Of View in the **content** part up top, so be sure to read those or you might be a lil bit confused ^_~

I also have a warning: This will get serious later on, as all sessions go. 

You have been warned. 

And I'd like to thank all the people who reviewed my story!! I love you guys!


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